Re: Bug: "echo -e "\0NNN" doesn't require leading '0'

[Eric Blake]

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According to L. Walsh on 3/19/2006 1:19 PM:
> An incompatibility in echo has crept into the gnu version
> of echo.  In extended processing, the leading "0" is no
> longer required to start an octal sequence.  This is not
> compatible with other extended echo implementations and
> can cause un-anticipated side effects (like echoing "awk"
> replacement args "\1" into an awk input script).

Echo is inherently non-portable.  Implementations are allowed by POSIX to
support octal escapes without leading zeros as an extension to the XSI
required set of backslash sequences (POSIX only requires that portable
applications limit themselves to defined sequences, where the definition
includes the leading 0 for octal escapes).  Consider using printf instead.

- --
Life is short - so eat dessert first!

Eric Blake             address@hidden
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